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<strong>The web is a system of interlinked documents and resources accessed via the internet.</strong> The internet can also be used to access email, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and other non-web services, but for the purposes of this white paper we’re interested in the things that can be accessed and created via modern web browsers. Taking Leo, Martha and Abdullah as our examples, no matter what devices they choose to use, the web is accessible to them all. | <strong>The web is a system of interlinked documents and resources accessed via the internet.</strong> The internet can also be used to access email, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and other non-web services, but for the purposes of this white paper we’re interested in the things that can be accessed and created via modern web browsers. Taking Leo, Martha and Abdullah as our examples, no matter what devices they choose to use, the web is accessible to them all. | ||
The open Web has enabled increasing access to information and each other, as well as provided the platform for many new ways to learn and new skills to achieve. It is relevant for developers, teachers, doctors, construction workers and many more, including learners of any kind. Therefore, we feel there is a new necessary set of literacies for modern citizens - web literacies - that prepare them to effectively use the web to get information, connect with others and express themselves. | |||
Literacy isn’t just about reading, but about writing too. When we think about literacies on the web it’s important to go beyond just the differences between paper and screen. Those differences, like the <em>hypertextuality</em> of the web, are certainly important. But mastering these differences does not automatically lead to ‘web literacies’. <strong>Being web literate means not only being able to read the web but also having the ability to ‘write’ it.</strong> | Literacy isn’t just about reading, but about writing too. When we think about literacies on the web it’s important to go beyond just the differences between paper and screen. Those differences, like the <em>hypertextuality</em> of the web, are certainly important. But mastering these differences does not automatically lead to ‘web literacies’. <strong>Being web literate means not only being able to read the web but also having the ability to ‘write’ it.</strong> | ||
Writing the web - creating pages, documents and multimedia assets - means understanding the building blocks of the web. As Mitchell Baker (Chairperson of Mozilla) says, we want to move beyond ‘elegant | Writing the web - creating pages, documents and multimedia assets - means understanding the building blocks of the web. As Mitchell Baker (Chairperson of Mozilla) says, we want to move beyond ‘elegant consumption’ towards creating a generation of <em>Webmakers</em>. <strong>We’re not talking about everyone becoming a fully-fledged programmer, but we do believe that everyone should have the skills, competencies and literacies to be able to tinker and make things with and on the web.</strong> This is what Martha, the teacher in our example above, wants to help her students learn. She wants them to be able to make parts of the web as well as consume them. | ||
consumption’ towards creating a generation of <em>Webmakers</em>. <strong>We’re not talking about everyone becoming a fully-fledged programmer, but we do believe that everyone should have the skills, competencies and literacies to be able to tinker and make things with and on the web.</strong> This is what Martha, the teacher in our example above, wants to help her students learn. She wants them to be able to make parts of the web as well as consume them. | |||
Although a knowledge of the physical makeup of the internet is necessary at some level, we’re primarily interested in the web as accessed through a browser. We recognise that there are ‘Pre-Beginner’ skills such as | Although a knowledge of the physical makeup of the internet is necessary at some level, we’re primarily interested in the web as accessed through a browser. We recognise that there are ‘Pre-Beginner’ skills such as identifying a web browser’s address bar, using copy/paste functions, and entering the URL of a site directly (rather than searching). Likewise, there’s ‘Advanced’ skills such as code workflows and server-side technologies that go beyond what we’re talking about here. <strong>Both ‘Pre-Beginner’ and ‘Advanced’ skills are currently out of scope for this white paper.</strong> We’re focusing on the kinds of skills that Abdullah might teach at his weekend sessions, or Leo might learn at his weekly HTML classes. | ||
identifying a web browser’s address bar, using copy/paste functions, and entering the URL of a site directly (rather than searching). Likewise, there’s ‘Advanced’ skills such as code workflows and server-side technologies that go beyond what we’re talking about here. <strong>Both ‘Pre-Beginner’ and ‘Advanced’ skills are currently out of scope for this white paper.</strong> We’re focusing on the kinds of skills that Abdullah might | |||
teach at his weekend sessions, or Leo might learn at his weekly HTML classes. | |||
<h2>Why are we talking about this?</h2> | <h2>Why are we talking about this?</h2> | ||
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<strong>At it’s most basic, ‘literacy’ is the ability to read and write something.</strong> As we’re focusing on Web Literacies the ‘thing’ that we’re reading and writing is the web. In addition to this, however, as people become more literate we expect them to think critically and be able to look at the world from more than one perspective. For someone to be ‘literate’ they have to be aware that they are literate and be accepted within a wider community of literate peers. | <strong>At it’s most basic, ‘literacy’ is the ability to read and write something.</strong> As we’re focusing on Web Literacies the ‘thing’ that we’re reading and writing is the web. In addition to this, however, as people become more literate we expect them to think critically and be able to look at the world from more than one perspective. For someone to be ‘literate’ they have to be aware that they are literate and be accepted within a wider community of literate peers. | ||
Let’s take Leo as our example here. He continues attending his Monday HTML classes and starts tinkering with HTML and CSS at home as well. After a few months he gains Web Competencies badges in <strong>HTML basics</strong>, <strong>CSS basics</strong> and <strong>Web design basics</strong>. When a friend asks for help with a website she’s designing, Leo decides start an after-school interest group with her. Soon, he’s creating ‘howto’ videos for the benefit of those in his nascent community, | Let’s take Leo as our example here. He continues attending his Monday HTML classes and starts tinkering with HTML and CSS at home as well. After a few months he gains Web Competencies badges in <strong>HTML basics</strong>, <strong>CSS basics</strong> and <strong>Web design basics</strong>. When a friend asks for help with a website she’s designing, Leo decides start an after-school interest group with her. Soon, he’s creating ‘howto’ videos for the benefit of those in his nascent community, while she’s working towards <strong>Javascript basics</strong> to be able to teach others. Teaching something you’ve recently learned yourself forces self-reflection on your own knowledge, skills and understanding. | ||
<strong>Literacy is a condition to be obtained not a threshold to cross.</strong> We want people not only to self-identify as Webmakers but demonstrate the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be part of one or more | <strong>Literacy is a condition to be obtained not a threshold to cross.</strong> We want people not only to self-identify as Webmakers but demonstrate the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be part of one or more | ||
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</ol> | </ol> | ||
As we’re providing <strong>interest-based pathways</strong> the idea is that | As we’re providing <strong>interest-based pathways</strong> the idea is that while a certain number of web skills would have to be gained to achieve the <strong>HTML basics</strong> badge, there’s no requirement to gain every skill. | ||
An example of some interest-based pathways can be seen below. The coloured icons indicate badges that have been gained, with those that are greyed-out yet to be achieved. As indicated in a previous section, we envisage that ‘levelling-up’ to a Web Competency badge requires an element of peer-assessment. Levelling-up to one of the Web Literacies badges requires peer-assessment plus some kind of self-reflection. | An example of some interest-based pathways can be seen below. The coloured icons indicate badges that have been gained, with those that are greyed-out yet to be achieved. As indicated in a previous section, we envisage that ‘levelling-up’ to a Web Competency badge requires an element of peer-assessment. Levelling-up to one of the Web Literacies badges requires peer-assessment plus some kind of self-reflection. | ||